Chapter 3-7 : Southern Region’s Specialty Products (part 2)
From the drug store, we went to the nearby weapon shop just a few blocks away. I wonder if they sell magic weapons.
The weapon shop we visited was as big as the weapon shops in the eastern capital, but the atmosphere here was completely different.
First of all, this shop was filled with tanned men in short-sleeved shirts, unlike the ones in the eastern capital that had many adventurers in armor. Judging from their appearance, these men seemed to be fishermen.
Also, unlike regular weapon shops that sell many types of weapons, this shop mostly sells spears.
「There are so many spears here. But, why do some of them have weird spearheads?」(Kako)
「Ojou-sama, the weird ones are not spears. They’re harpoons.」(Thea)
「Ah, I see.」(Kako)
「Originally, harpoons are tools meant to catch fish in the water, but in this city, they also serve as weapons for fighting sea monsters.」(Thea)
「So they’re fishing tools but also weapons at the same time, huh? Interesting.」(Kako)
Looking around the shop, I saw so many harpoons of different shapes. There were also some spear-like weapons that looked familiar. I remember seeing them being used by mermaids in a video game, and if I’m not mistaken, these weapons are called Trident.
Going deeper into the shop, I reached the section of other weapons. There were swords, shields, and daggers, but not as many as the harpoons and spears sold here.
「There are not many other weapons here.」(Kako)
「It’s probably because sea monsters attack from below while you’re on a ship. Spears and harpoons are advantageous since you can attack your enemies from above.」(Thea)
「Makes sense.」(Kako)
Certainly, weapons with a long reach are much better than swords or daggers in that kind of situation.
「It seems that they also sell swords and daggers in case the sea monsters manage to get onto the ship.」(Thea)
「I see. But, their shapes are a bit different.」(Kako)
In the east, most swords have straight blades, but the swords here are mostly curved.
「I’m not that knowledgeable about weapons, but perhaps they were designed this way so that they could be used easily on a ship.」(Thea)
「Is that so?」(Kako)
I wonder if Sheila knows. She may still be a blacksmith apprentice, but she is more knowledgeable about weapons than any of us. Aa-ahh, I still wish she were here with me.
「Hm? This sword…」(Kako)
While thinking about the friend I left at home, the sword displayed in the display case in front of me caught my attention for some reason. I noticed something strange with the blade’s texture.
「Is it a steel blade? …No… It doesn’t look like it’s made of steel…」(Kako)
At a glance, it looked like a steel blade, but when I looked closely, the color looked a bit different from steel.
「Haha! You have sharp eyes, young lady!」(man)
「Hiiy!」(Kako)
The sudden loud voice of a man from behind scared me. I flinched and turned around a bit panickedly.
「Ah, I’m sorry for startling you. That is indeed not a steel sword. It’s a sword made from sea monster materials.」(man)
While explaining, a tan, muscular man, who seemed to be a customer, approached me.
Seeing him getting close, Thea and Nyat stepped forward and stood between me and him.
「Whoa, chill, guys. I’m not a bad person. I was just curious because I saw an unusual customer here.」(man)
「Unusual? Me?」(Kako)
「Yeah. The people who come to this shop are mostly navy soldiers, adventurers, and fishermen like me. This is the first time I’ve seen a young girl here.」(man)
I understand. This is not a place for a girl after all, and I’m used to getting this kind of attention.
Confirming that the man had no ill intention, Thea and Nyat stepped back.
「By the way, are you looking for a weapon for your catto bodyguard here? Or… could it be… It’s for your maid?」(man)
「I don’t need a weapon-nya. My claws are my best weapon-nya!」(Nyat)
「A maid like me doesn’t need a weapon either.」(Thea)
「Ah, I didn’t come here to buy weapons for them. I’m a merchant. I came to see what kind of weapons are popular around here.」(Kako)
「You’re a merchant!?」(man)
The man was surprised and thoughtlessly let out a loud voice. The other customers moved their gazes at me altogether because of that.
Ugh, this is so awkward…
「Y, yeah, I may be young, but I’m a merchant. By the way, are weapons made from monster materials often seen around here? In the east, where I came from, weapons are mostly made of steel.」(Kako)
「That’s right. These kinds of weapons are not rare here. Steel weapons can easily rust in a seaside city like this, so they need to be frequently maintained, especially if you fight at sea often. Because of that, we sometimes make weapons from monster materials because they last much longer than steel.」(man)
Seems like the sea in this world is pretty much the same as the sea on Earthー it has salt. Metal rusts more quickly in seaside areas due to the combination of high humidity and the presence of salt in the air
My uncle once told my parents that if they wanted to buy a used car, they had to ask if the previous seller lived in a coastal area or not, because the cars in that area often had rusty parts.
「I see. Does that mean steel weapons don’t sell very well here? I have so many weapons to sell, but most of them are made of steel.」(Kako)
「Don’t worry. Steel weapons still sell here. It’s all about preference. Fishermen and sailors mostly prefer weapons made from monster materials, but the guards and adventurers mostly use steel weapons. Also, just because monster materials last longer than steel, it doesn’t mean that weapons made from monster materials are better than those made of steel. The maintenance methods of monster material weapons vary depending on what kind of materials they are made from. Some weapons are easy to maintain, but some others are very difficult, sometimes even harder than the steel ones. Moreover, not all blacksmiths can maintain weapons made from monster materials since they require certain skills depending on the materials. Steel weapons require frequent maintenance, but any blacksmith can maintain them; on the contrary, weapons made from monster materials don’t require maintenance too often, but only specialist blacksmiths can maintain them.」(man)
「So each one has its own advantages and disadvantages, huh?」(Kako)
「That’s right. If you want to sell steel weapons, I suggest you sell them to the guards or adventurers who normally fight monsters and bandits on the land.」(man)
「I see. Thank you very much, Mister!」(Kako)
「Ou! I hope your business is doing well!」(man)
The man waved at me and continued browsing harpoons.
He looked kinda scary, but he’s a good guy. It’s rare to find a good person like him in a big city like this.
「Kako ojou-sama, I think it’s about time we head back to the inn.」(Thea)
As Thea said that, I moved my gaze toward the store window. The sun had begun to set, and the sky had begun to turn orange.
「You’re right, but before leaving, I want to buy some weapons.」(Kako)
After parting with the fisherman, I went to the counter. The middle-aged male shopkeeper greeted me as soon as he noticed me coming.
「Welcome, young lady. How can I help you?」(shopkeeper)
He must have heard my conversation with the fisherman. He politely greeted me probably because he knew I was a merchant.
「I want to buy some weapons made from sea monster materials.」(Kako)
「Which ones would you like to buy?」(shopkeeper)
「I want this one, this one, and this oneー」(Kako)
I decided to buy several swords and spears made from sea monster materials.
The shopkeeper then swiftly took the weapons from the display and put them on the counter.
「That will be 24 gold coins and 37 silver coins in total, but since you buy so many, I’ll give you a discount. You just need to pay 24 gold coins.」(shopkeeper)
Twenty-four gold coins for this many weapons? That’s surprisingly cheap.
「Thank you, but why are they so cheap? I thought it would cost me more.」(Kako)
「We sell the weapons cheaply, especially the ones made from monster materials, to balance the expensive maintenance fee.」(shopkeeper)
「I see. The maintenance will cost a lot of money, huh? Is it because it requires a specialist blacksmith?」(Kako)
「That’s right, and those blacksmiths can only maintain the weapons they make. For that reason, you have to come back to this shop if you need these weapons maintained in the future.」(shopkeeper)
「I see. Alright, I understand.」(Kako)
It seems that every specialist blacksmith has their own crafting methods when they make weapons from monster materials. It’s hard for them to maintain weapons they don’t make.
Because of that, I can’t bring these weapons to a different shop when I need them to be maintained in the future. I have to go back to this shop.
It’s a bit inconvenient for the customers, but this seems to be the way the weapon shops and blacksmiths in this city encourage their customers to keep coming back to their shops.
「By the way, would you mind telling me where you usually buy monster materials to make weapons?」(Kako)
「I don’t mind. We buy sea monster materials from the fishermen at the market.」(shopkeeper)
「Fishermen? I thought they only sell fish.」(Kako)
「They do sell fish, but they also sell sea monster materials. Most fishermen in this city are fighters who can fight sea monsters. That’s why we sell so many harpoons here.」(shopkeeper)
「Now that you mention it. I see now… Thank you very much!」(Kako)
Not only did I get nice and cheap weapons, but I also obtained some valuable information from this shop.
I put the weapons I had just bought in my magic bags and politely thanked the shopkeeper before leaving the shop.
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More powerful weapon coming!